Educational toy



Feb. 19, 1946. R. c. I r-:wls

EDUCATIONAL TOY Filed March 22, 1945 Patented Feb. 19, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDUCATIONAL TOY Richard C. Lewis, Chicago, Ill.

Application March 22, 1945, Serial No. 534,200

3 Claims. f (Cl. 35-69) My invention relates to a toy adapted to have educational value as well as provide amusement and entertainment for the child.

Among the o-bjects of my invention is to providea toy having parts adapted to be associated bodiment of my invention, yet I Wish it understood that the same is susceptible of modification and change without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Referring to the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a panorama of the parts in assembled position; Fig. 2 is a front elevational view partly in skeleton with the objects removed; Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is-a top plan view; Figs. 5 to 'l are rear elevational views of three of the objects disassembled, and Figs. 8 to 10 are bottom edge views of three of the objects disassembled.

Referring more particularly to the embodiment selected to illustrate my invention, it comprises a, plurality of bases I0. The end bases each have an inner edge II irregularly cut to receive only the correspondingly cut outer edges I I of the adjoining bases. The edges I I of the inner bases are cut to lit by contact only the correspondingly cut adjoining bases. This teaches the child to place the bases together in the way they have been formed, because otherwise the parts cannot properly fit. In the top surface of the bases I at the rear, is cut a laterally extending groove I2 which is continuous for all the bases when they are placed together. p

A plurality of vertical background parts i3 have their lower ends removably fitted within said groove l2 and said parts are held in vertical position by friction grip therein. The end parts I3 have their inner edges I4 jig sawed to an irregular form to interengage only the correspondingly formed outer edges of the adjoining parts I3. The edges I4 of the inner parts I3 are cut to interlock only with the correspondingly cut adjoining parts. The parts have a scene, display or design which guides the child in assembling the parts in the proper position. The parts being jig sawed so that only the proper parts may be assembled in proper order also teaches the child the proper association of parts.

A plurality of objects I5 have their bottom portions resting on bases I. On the sides of each of the objects adjacent the background parts I3 is a rearwardly extending peg I3, adapted to contact and extend through an opening I1 in said parts I3. Each of said objects which is diiierent has its peg I6 placed at such a height that it will only enter a hole I'I placed in the background parts I3, at an appropriate height therefor.

Each of the objects I5 has an extension or head IB having a peg I9, adapted to nt into a hole 20 in the body of the object.

As an illustration of the use of my invention I show in the accompanying drawing my background parts I3 with' a farm scene. Each of the parts shows a definite part of this scene which,

' when properly assembled provides the complete scene. Taking the parts I3 separately from left to right, when properly assembled, they show the steps of the farm house, the dog house in the farm yard, the farm buggy, the barn, the pig shed, and a grazing hill. The child is helped by the general idea of the scene and its continuity in assembling the parts together. He is also helped because he iinds out that the irregular cuts of the jig saw are all different and only fit the proper adjoining section. The child also finds that only the corresponding base sections will contact in proper relationship.

The objects l5 are each shown in the drawings herein in the form of a domestic animal and each animal should be placed with the proper scene. The child will use his own judgment at first, and if he is correct he will put the Cat against the part showing the steps of the house, the dog with the dog house, the horse with `the buggy, the cow with the barn, the pig with the pig shed, and the sheep on the hill. If the child has placed the object correctly he will find that the peg of the object properly engages the hole in the background. Ii he does not place the object correctly the peg will be too low or too high for the hole and will not fit. The child thus informed, will try again and until he has the right place for the proper association of the members.

The child will also recognize by the animals which head i8, ts into each object i5. Otherwise the result would be grotesque and immediately advise the child of his error.

I prefer te have a single object for each background and base but this may be varied by more than one object for each base and background without departing from thespirit of my invention.

I may vary the subject matter of my backgrounds so that they may illustrate other scenes and that the objects may be changed to be associated with such scenes. For example, the parts forming my scene might well be a jungle and the objects jungle animals.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An educational toy comprising a plurality of bases, a plurality of background portions adapted t be removably held in vertical position by said bases, said background portions each having a portion of a scene so that all of said portions joined together form the complete scene, said background portions having respective edge portions irregularly formed so as to inter-engage only corresponding edge portions of adjacent background portions and insure the continuity of the scene, a plurality of objects removably positioned on said bases, each of said objects relating to a particular portion of the scene, each of said background portions having an opening positioned at a respectively different height, each of said objects having a peg adapted by the corresponding height to fit only the opening in the Acorresponding background portion to insure the object relating to the proper scene being positioned at said scene.

2. An educational toy comprising a plurality of bases, a plurality of background portions adapted to be removably held in vertical position by said bases, said background portions each having a portion of a display so that all of said portions joined together form the complete display, said background portions having respective edge p0rtions irregularly formed so as to inter-engage only corresponding edge portions of adjacent background portions and insure the continuity of the display, a plurality of objects removably positioned on said bases, each of said objects relating to a particular portion of the display, each of said background portions and objects having means for attachment, said means being different for 5 each pair of background portions and objects so that only the corresponding object can be attached to the corresponding background portion, to insure the object relating to the proper display being positioned at said display. l0 3. An educational toy comprising. a. plurality of horizontal bases having respective edge portions irregularly formed so as to interengage only corresponding edge portions of adjacent bases, said bases having a continuous groove at their rear l5 face portions, a plurality of background portions with their lower ends removably positioned in said groove by friction grip and holding said background portions in vertical position, said background portions each having a portion of a scene so that all of said portions joined together form the complete` scene, said background portions having respective edge portions irregularly formed so as to interengage only corresponding edge portions of adjacent background portions and insure the continuity of the scene, a. plurality of objects removably positioned on said bases, each of said objects relating to a particular portion of the scene, each of said background portions having an opening positioned at a respectively different height, each of said objects having a peg adapted by the corresponding height to fit only the opening in the corresponding background portion to insure the object relating to the proper scene being positioned at said scene, each of said objects having an opening, a plurality of extensions, each of said extensions relating to only one of said objects, 'each of said extensions having a peg adapted to t into an opening of one of said objects for removably attaching said parts. 40 RICHARD c. LEWIS. 

